Cable-cutting device.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented May 28,1912.

H. G. SMITH. CABLE CUTTING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JULY 27, 1911.

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' H. C. SMITH.

GABLE CUTTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1911.

Patented May 28, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' 'Herman 6.6m fh UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN C. SMITH, OF WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE-CUTTING DEVICE.

To all 'whom t may 'concern Be it known that I, HERMAN C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vhittier, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable- Cutting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cable cutting devices, and particularly to that type employed in cutting the operating cable of an oil well at a point adjacent the connection of said cable with the tool or socket.

The object of the invention resides in the `provision of a device of t-he character named which can be easily lowered within the tubing of the well until same reaches a point adjacent the connection of the cable with the tool or socket and then operated to eifectively sever the cable.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of this character which will be simple in construction, eflicient in operat-ion and which may be manufactured at an exceedingly small cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in whichvFigure 1, is a vertical longitudinal section of a fragment of the tubing of an oil well showing the operating cable and the cutting device disposed therein in elevation. Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 with the cutting device in section, Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the well tubing and cutting device taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4, a section on the line 4 4 of 1, Fig. 5, a detail perspective view of the cutter actuator employed in the device, Fig. 6, a detail perspective view of the cutter head and the guide frame carried thereby which maintains the cutter actuator in operative relation to the cutter head and cutters, Fig. 7, a detail perspective view of one of the cutters. Fig. 8, a

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1911.

Patented May 28,1912. Serial No. 640,846.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the well tubing, 11 the operating cable, and 12 the socket carried by the lower end of the operating cable.

The cutting device comprises a cutter head 13 which is provided with a longitudinal bore 14 wherethrough passes the operating cable 11. This cutter head is provided with a transverse passage 15 disposed at right angles to the bore 14. Mounted in this passage 15 in opposition to each other are corresponding slidably arranged cutters 16 and 17, the movement of said cutters when the cable 11 is disposed in the bore 14 serving to sever said cable. The cutter head 13 is provided in its outer face at diametrically opposite points with vertical grooves 1S and 19 respectively which are intersected by the passage 15. The outer sides of the cutters 16 and 17 are likewise provided with grooves 20 and 21 respectively, said grooves 18, 20 and 19, 21 forining guides for the cutter actuator to be presently described.

Secured to the upper end of the cutter head 13 are parallel bars 22 and 23 which are connected together at their upper ends by means of a ring 24. This ring is slidhead 13 are parallel bars 22 and 23 which encircles the cable 11 and has its lower end threaded into the upper end of a coupling 26 which latter is adapted to engage the ring 24 and limit the independent upward movement of said stem with respect to said ring. The coupling 26 has threaded into its lower end a forked member 27 including arms 28 and 29. These arms are constructed with their inner faces diverging toward the cutter head 13 and are positioned for movement in thegrooves 18 and 19 respectively, while they also extend into the grooves 2O and 21 respectively of the cutters and engage the outer faces of the latter. The device is lowered into the tubing 10 t-o the position shown in Fig. 8 by securing the upper end of the stem 25 to a sectional tubing 25 of the required length. This sectional tubing 25 is provided at a densired point with a longitudinal slot 2G through which the operating cable 11 is directed exteriorly of the tubing 25. The guide ring l24 is held in place while the device is being lowered by a spring 27 mounted on the stem 25 and bearing at its lower end against the coupling 26 and at its upper end against the coupling which secures the lower most section of the tubing 25 to the upper end of the stem 25.

The cutters 1G and 17 are maintained against movement during the transportation and positioning of the device by means of locking members 30 and 31 which are slidably mounted for vertical movement in slots 32 and 33 respectively formed in the head 13 on opposite sides of the bore 14. These locking members 30 and 31 are provided at their upper ends with enlarged portions 34 and 35 which in the lowered or normal position of the locking members lie in the path of movement of the cutters 1G and 17 and thus serve to lock the latter. The lower end of the locking members 30 and 31 are mutually connected by a plate This plate, when the device is lowered,

engages the socket 12 and links the locking members 30 and 31 to the position shown in Fig. 9, which will raise the enlarged portion 34 and 35 of the locking members clear of the cutters so as to allow them to move over the cable 11 and lowered into the well by securing additional sect-ions ofthe tubing 25 together in t-he usual manner, the cable having been previously directed eX- t-eriorly of the tubing 25 through theislot 2G. 12 the plate 36 is raised and elevates the locking members 30 and 31 to a position clear of the cutters, leaving the latter free to be forced inwardly toward each other by the engagement of the arms 28 and 29 therewith respectively Aduring the downward movement of said arm under the influence of the weight of the tubing 25. If necessary further pressure can be brought to bear on the tubing 25 at the top of the well.

That is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a tubular cut-ter head having a transverse passage therethrough, cutters mounted in said passage, a pair of parallel arms secured to one endV of the cutter head and extending longitudinally of the latter, a ring connecting the outer ends of said arms, a stem slidably mounted in said ring and provided with a forked terminal adjacent the cutter head, said forked termi nal having wedge shaped arms embracing the cutter head and engaging the outer edges of the cutters to drive the latter inlVhen the device reaches the socketv wardly of the cutter head during the lon- Y Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each1 by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

